Memeorandum

August 28, 2012

I Love A Mystery

TAMPA, Fla. – Republican convention planners appear to have a surprise planned for those tuning in Thursday night.

Buried deep in the convention schedule released Monday
is a vague reference to a mystery speaker scheduled for the event’s
final evening. “To Be Announced” has a prime speaking slot late in the
Thursday program.

...

The only other speakers to follow “To Be Announced” will be Sen. Marco Rubio
of Florida and Mr. Romney himself, suggesting that the unnamed guest
may appear during the 10 p.m. hour when the networks all will be
broadcasting the convention.

Convention planners have spread the announcement of the speakers for
this week’s gathering across a few weeks, slowly revealing the names of
those who landed coveted slots. But until Monday, it appeared that all
the blanks had been filled in, as most high-profile Republicans already
had speaking roles or had explained their absence from the convention.

The line-up features a long list of governors and senators, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Former presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are on the agenda, as are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George W. Bush have said they won’t be attending, but a video from Mr. Bush is on Wednesday’s program.

So who’s left? Stay tuned.

They follow with a poll and a give the readers a chance to vote. The offered choices are Zell Miller, Ted Nugent, Sarah Palin, David Petraeus, Nancy Reagan and Chesley Sullenberger (aka "Sully").

Nancy Reagan is 91; Zell Miller is yesterday's news; Ted Nugent is not a Republican rock star the way Sarah Palin is. Gen. Petraeus, on the other hand, could be. Hmm...

Comments

I was trying to think who the surprise could be that would have everyone sitting up and taking notice. Sarah Palin came to mind. George W. Bush. Dick Cheney. They wouldn't let them, they didn't rape a woman and diddle an intern so they can't appear at our convention. They are too controversial. And then it dawned on me who it might be...

Is Liz Cheney a scheduled speaker? If not, I'll pick her as my prediction for mystery guest.

It's got to be a prominent GOPer to avoid a letdown after the "mystery" build-up. And I think it's likely to be someone whom Team Romney perceives may appeal to persuadables yet won't be a disappointment to the base. Liz seems to fit the bill.

"TAMPA, Fla. – In rapid response to Mitt Romney’s joke to a crowd in his home state of Michigan, that “No one ever asked me for my birth certificate,” Barack Obama’s campaign put out a 15-second TV spot to declare, “America doesn’t need a birther-in-chief.”

I’ve finally found a point of agreement with Obama.

America certainly does not need a “birther-in-chief” – which is one of at least 2,012 reasons to dump Barack Obama from the White House on Election Day.

America already has a “birther-in-chief.” His name is Barack Obama.

Who started the controversy over his identity? He did. For at least 17 years he boasted in his literary biography of being born in Kenya. That claim was quietly withdrawn only in 2007 – less than a year before he declared his candidacy for the presidency. It was never repudiated or explained. His own wife referred to Kenya as his home country. His autobiography claims he is the offspring of two parents, neither of which could bestow upon him the constitutional requirement of “natural born citizenship.” When repeatedly asked for years into his presidency to produce his birth certificate, he released a document every expert who has looked at it agrees is fraudulent – including the one and only law enforcement investigation to examine the evidence.

No one else besides Barack Obama can claim credit for the title “birther-in-chief.” He owns it. He prompted the very term. He sustained it needlessly. And then he blames others for his own absolute unwillingness to provide the most rudimentary documentation of his eligibility for office.

I’m gratified Mitt Romney told that joke.

I’m only sorry he apologized for it later.

Because the Constitution is not a laughing matter – or it shouldn’t be."

You've probably already checked the standings today, Sue, but I have LUNed them in the event you want to see again where the Rangers stand (best AL record and second in the Majors in positive run differential).

I just hope we maintain home field advantage. We have a difficult time beating the Yankees at their stadium. And please, keep the White Sox as far away from us as possible. Like the Golden State Warriors were to the Dallas Mavericks, they have the Rangers number. We can't beat them for some reason.

That's why I'm picking the Cards as the NL WS rep, henry. The Cards are having a solid season and, like the Rangers, have recent postseason experience. If the Cards don't catch the Reds, however, they will have the disadvantage of having to play that extra game this year against the other NL wild card team. But I think the Cards will overcome that.

In any event, I can enjoy Major League Baseball in September and October in a relaxed mode, since the Bosox won't be a factor (although Bosox take the "Salary Dump" title this year by far).

I think it will be someone who can help win some votes. Palin voters are already supporting him. He's probably already locked up the military vote so I don't think it will be Petraeus. Sue could be on to something as Wilder could help with Dem vote. But I think he's courting the Uncle Ron vote so my guess is Ron Paul.

To hold someone back as a surprise, it ought to be someone who wouldn't have been on anyone's speaker list to begin with, except for Palin, who was conspicuously missing. I'd like it to be West, but I guess they don't want scenes of Peggy Noonan passing out shown on TV.

I'm thinking Powell because there are two different focus group studies that say the "Dissapointed Obama Voter" ad is the most effective one with undecideds. Who would be the most prominent "Dissapointed Obama Voter" you could get on the national stage. He has the bonus effect of nulifying the race card for the rest of the campaign. And I think Powell just might do it, since the thing he craves most is influence. His shiv in the back to My Friends didn't pay off very well for him in that regard. And he is alway the one to be on the winning side, and it doesn't take a much to see that a president who can't get his poll numbers above 47% and can't bring in as much money as he did 4 years ago is in deep trouble.

I am just a lowly internet troll embittered by the way his life has turned out. There's no place for me at the Democratic convention...... unless........ unless they want me to speak..... I'll need time to prepare my notes.

The League of Women Voters is not nonpartisan and never has been. But now just like the Obamacare vote, they have unmasked themselves for the far lefties they have always been. Get a load of this:

The Minnesota supreme court decided yesterday that a referendum approved by the state legislature to amend the state constitution to require voter ID will also be on the ballot in November. The League of Women Voters had tried to convince the court that the people of Minnesota should not be allowed to decide this issue for themselves.

The court held that the petitioners were “not entitled to this unprecedented relief.” The League argued that the ballot question was “so unreasonable and misleading as to be a palpable evasion of the constitutional requirement to submit the law to a popular vote.” But the court rejected the claim that the difference between “valid government-issued photographic identification” and “valid photographic identification” was “unreasonable and misleading.”

The court also rejected the League’s contention that the ballot question was misleading because it says that “all voters” would be required to present ID when the amendment requires only those voting in person to do so. The court noted, however, that the referendum says absentee voters will be subject to “substantially equivalent identity and eligibility” requirements.

No word on whether the counsel for the plantiff made the oral arguments in red nose and oversized shoes as yet...

narc I played a cocktail party (jazz) in 89 where Wilder and Patricia Kluge were flirting in the corner. Then her old man died. And then she lost all his money. And then the Donald bought her vineyard down here. Kluge wine is now Trump wine. Next thing I know Wilder is mayor of Richmond.

--I am just a lowly internet troll embittered by the way his life has turned out.--

And you don't think that's the life story of every yokel that's going to be half filling their convention hall?
Just make sure you down a jeroboam or two of a fine Nebuchadnezzar vintage before you speak or you're liable to slur your words like you do here through your DT keyboard.

If "To Be Announced" is "buried deep in the convention schedule," so are Rubio & Romney. You do have to read all the way to the end of the program to find them, but, hey, a little mystery helps while away the time.

TBD was added between publishing the three day revisions and issuing the formal program, so I suspect they'll slide someone was originally scheduled to speak on Day #1 into that slot, unless Bobby Jindal can make it back to do the honors.

What makes you think the Cards can overtake the Reds? They have the best record in baseball with their best player and perennial MVP candidate on IR for a month. When Votto comes back its "Katie-bar-the-door". And if you're a Red Sox fan you should be rooting for the Reds since they are the progenitor of the Red Sox (you know Harry and George Wright).

JimmyK-- absolutely right; no matter what Isaac does, it will be a fraction of the Trillions of damage Bam has caused. Obviously Isaac won't cause terrible wind damage to structures, but it's so slow moving the sustained winds could topple alot trees and put power out, and the storm surge could build up if the storm tracks WEST of NoLa. Landfall at low tide would be a big help.

GMax-they love to hype these things. You had to listen very carefully to hear the acknowledgment that the dry air in the SW quadrant was likely to prevent it regaining strength despite warm waters below.

When we stayed for dennis I was getting hysterical phone calls from watchers of the WC. We stayed because I high pressure system had wedged in place pushing storm to NW. It couldn't come north and we were going to have TS conditions plus the wave action of a hurricane from a high elevation. To this day my kids rank the experience on par with any trip we took in terms of fascination.

But my anger at the irresponsibility of the WC has never abated. They are a poor source for the definitive info.

well, no one really watches them and when Rs go on and make them look like idiots, it only gives them more publicity and keeps them going. Chris Matthews needs some intervention--like a stay in a rehab outfit---and Andrea ought to retire. Her time is up and her sources too age addled to help her out by feeding her inside stuff.

"[Powell] has the bonus effect of nulifying the race card for the rest of the campaign."

He's also the only last minute black addition to the roster who wouldn't be greeted by hysterical lefty cries of, "Racist Tonkenism," but I don't think he'd risk losing a big piece of his own vaunted position, both in black and liberal circles, where he's sitting in a comfy chair, by outright turning on Obama. He's worse than a RINO, and wouldn't bring any discernible constituency with him, so I don't think Team Romney would ask him, either.

I look at the run without Votto differently, JiB. I think the Reds are due for a "correction" even with Votto coming back. The Cards have shown a lot of resiliency in this decade. I don't necessarily think the Cards will overtake the Reds, but I think it will be close.

By the way, I don't like the 5 team playoff system. The top wild card team is often a better team than at least one of the division winners, and shouldn't have its playoff pitching rotation disrupted by an extra game (it would be even worse if MLB goes to a best of three for the wild card game).

The mystery speaker should be a women who is wrapped head to toe in bandages and pushed out in a wheelchair claiming the Republican men backstage beat the sh*t out of her. The bandages get unwrapped from toe to head and its Palin firing a shotgun in the air!!!!

Per what Clarice was saying, when Repubs go on MessNBC they run the risk of saying something dense like Christie did when he said about Romney's birth certificate comment "I think if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't make the joke."

WTF? It was a great joke that only the MSDNC hive mind is getting the vapours over. There's no need to ingratiate yourself to these simpletons.